Today's rambling: Critter Encounters
Written on June 11, 2001 at 3:24 a.m.
while feeling a bit

Today was Critter day or something. Nothing important, but hey, since that was the most exciting thing to happen all day, I'm going to talk about my critter encounters. ;)

First there was the Mean, Ugly Snapping Turtle. He actually turned up in my neighbor's yard, but Mum went over and brought him over to our house. The neighbor lady was too scared to even touch it. And I can see why, because he was mean, but if you hold them back toward the rear of their shell, then they can't very well get you!

So anyway, this turtle was pretty BIG for the average snapping turtle, and he also looked pretty old. Mum reckons he's been around for awhile, anyway. ^_~ His face reminded me of the Alligator Snapping Turtle I saw once on the Jeff Corwin Experience (a show on TV, if you don't know what I'm talking about, hehe). Of course, the major difference is that the alligator turtle was HUGE, more like one of those big tortoises you see at the zoo, but their heads (the ugly, hooked beak-like mouth), and the way they both held their mouth open like they were catching flies, just looked similar. Hehe...

After setting the Mean, Ugly Snapping Turtle (or, M.U.S.T.) down next to a big field, Mum decided to demonstrate just how mean he was. So she got a stick, and proceeded to put it in his face. He just opened his mouth really wide at first, but then he jerked forward really quick and...well, snapped down on the stick. Hard. It even peeled off the bark! Now, as I so astutely pointed out, maybe what was making him mean was the fact that she was prodding him with this stick. I mean, would you be very happy if someone was shoving a stick in your face? Probably not. So I could understand where he was coming from. And besides that, as old as he was, I think he was allowed to be a little grouchy. ;)

That was Critter Experience #1 for the day. Critter Experience #2 came later that evening, when the toads came out. I love toads, I think they have really cute little faces. So whenever I see them on our front steps, or on a friend's driveway...or anywhere, really, I can't help but pick them up. The really big ones tend to intimidate me a little, though, so while I still love to look at them, I won't pick them up! But the little ones are fair game. ;)

I didn't notice the toads were out, though, because I was in my room. So Mum (who HATES reptiles and amphibians) comes rushing in, holding this little toad as if it was going to turn slimy and disgusting on her. "Here, take it!" she said, plunking it quite unceremoniously on my lap. For several minutes afterward, I was content to let Mr. Toad walk around on my hands (the same technique I'd use if I was trying to tame my gerbils, lol)...but then finally I decided to go outside, play with him a little longer, and let him go.

He was the one to decide when he was going to be let go, though. As I was sitting outside with Mum, watching him walk around, he decided to pee on my hand. That was disgusting, let me tell you. Not that it's the first time it's happened to me before -- when you've spent a childhood of catching toads and playing with them, you come to expect that sooner or later, they're going to pee on you -- but it's just gross nonetheless! So I put him down on the step, watched as he hopped off happily into our flower bush (presumably to brag to all his toad friends about how he got rid of the Annoying Human), and then promptly went inside to wash my hands. I made sure to use the "15-Second, Happy Birthday Method" that I saw on the Oprah show. ^^;

Compared to those two encounters, my Critter Encounter #3 is going to sound rather silly. And, in fact, it is. But I haven't had a moth in my room since last summer, and this one was a Kamikaze Moth! That's what I named it, anyway. *giggles*

He must've gotten in the house when Mum and I came back inside, and then somehow gravitated back to my room. Most insects do. I think it's because they know that my love for animals does not extend to them (unless they're butterflies, ladybugs, or small moths). Insects, in all their creepiness, like to torture me. This could be why I don't like them. But I digress!

So Kamikaze Moth was fluttering around the light stand thing I have in the corner of my room, slamming into walls and books and whatever else was in his way. Maybe it was high. Either way, I decided I'd better catch it and put it back outside before it flew inside one of the lamps (my corner light is one of those poles that has three or more lamps attached to it...hard to explain). I've seen moths fly inside before, never to come back out. They get fried by the bulb, and as they flap their wings helplessly, I've watched as that powdery stuff from their wings come spewing out, as if they were inside the lamp fighting with something. Bah, it's never any good! So I cupped my hand over him after he'd landed on the curtain, but he kept escaping.

As of right now, I have no idea what happened to Kamikaze Moth. He disappeared first behind a small pile of cardboard tubes I saved for my gerbils to chew on, and I left him alone until he flew back out. Then he flew onto my curtain rod, and I haven't seen him since. Maybe he's sleeping. Or maybe he flew out while I wasn't looking. Or maybe, he just passed out from whatever it was that was making him so spastic. Either way, I wish you well, Kamikaze Moth.

And that was the end of Critter Day. Not many encounters with wild critters, I know, but turtles --especially the snapping kind -- aren't something I see every day! And then to be followed up by a peeing toad...ah, what bliss. ^_~

I have successfully procrastinated all night. I really really want to work on my "All About Me" webpage (because I know, SO many people will want to go to it), but I just can't make myself start! Once I've started, I could keep going forever, but it's so hard to just get started, hehe...

I also got some ideas for my Harry Potter website (which, as of right now, is still just an empty index page), but again, there's that problem with starting! Argh, I need to motivate myself! Can't do it now, though, because I have to get to bed soon! I should've gone to bed AGES ago, because I have to get up for a dentist appointment, but really...what fun is it to go to the dentist? Especially since the dentist who used to work there (a really cute one) is gone now, leaving me with a short, older guy who isn't so bad, but isn't quite as friendly, either. Not that he's unfriendly, but...well, you get the idea.

Now, I'm going to go off and find something to do. Hopefully, I won't find any more critters, because the only sort I'll be finding now are the icky insect kind, and if I had to come back here describing my encounter with a Rabid Hairy Spider, it just wouldn't be pleasant.